Where the wild roses grow
by Tessa
Summary: Marguerite finds out a bit more about her Chosen One status


Spoilers: Out of Time

Author's note: I always wanted to make a story that would deal with Marguerite's chosen one status and I thought this was the right time to do. Though when I looked a couple of days ago I already saw that MWB had written a story for the challenge dealing with Marguerite's chosen one status. Just wanted to let you know that I would never take an idea from somebody else and that this idea has been in my head for quite sometime. Also the title isn't mine (which title of the stories I have wrote are really mine. I think you can count that on just one hand :-D). It belongs to Nick Cave and Kylie Minogue. 

And thanks for Cynthia, Natasha and of course Lisa to help me out with this story. Giving their opinion and ideas which helped me a lot.

****

Where the wild roses grow

"Where is Challenger?" Veronica had entered the living room of the treehouse, which was built by her parents. After the Challenger expedition had been stranded on the Plateau, she had taken them into her home. The only home she had ever known, for she was born here in this jungle ruled by dinosaurs, apemen and other creatures, that civilization never had seen before.

It was late in the afternoon. Almost dinner time and this time it was professor George Challenger's turn to cook their dinner. When they had split the chores, Lord John Roxton and Miss Marguerite Krux were the lucky ones to shoot their dinner, Challenger had to cook it and Mr. Edward (Ned for friends) Malone and Veronica Layton would clean the house and do the dishes. Challenger had said then that he would be in his lab for the rest of the day, until it was time to cook dinner. Now it was time for making dinner and the professor was nowhere to be found.

"I'll bet he's working on some sort of new experiment and he lost track of time," Marguerite said, looking up from the book she was reading.

"That theory would work if he was actually **in** his lab." The blonde replied.

This got the attention of the other two members of the expedition. Roxton got closer, a worried look on his face. "What do you mean? He's not there?" 

Veronica nodded and walked to their little kitchen. She was not waiting for Challenger to return where ever he may be. She was hungry and taking a look at her friends, she knew they were hungry too. Marguerite, who saw Veronica walking to the kitchen, put down her book and followed the blonde beauty. 

"Need a hand with dinner?"

Veronica looked with suspicious eyes at the dark-haired heiress. "Why Marguerite ... are you really saying you want to help me with dinner? Than thanks but no thanks." Veronica remembered the last time Marguerite cooked dinner all too well. She had almost burned down the whole treehouse.

Marguerite wanted to give a sarcastic remark, but only came with: "Fine, then, have it your way!" And turned on her heel, angry walking back to her room.

"She meant well, you know." Roxton said standing up and walking to Marguerite's room.

****

~ ~ ~ 

Marguerite sat on her bed. How much she hated to admit it, Veronica's remark had hurt her deeply. She was trying so hard not to be so selfish and what were the results: Everyone looked at her with even more suspicion than they already did. Because there possibly couldn't be any reason for her doing something without getting any profit out of it.

__

«You probably should get back to your old selfish person again. That way you won't get hurt either.» Marguerite's thoughts were rudely interrupted by a knock on her door. She looked up to see Roxton standing in the doorway.

"May I come in?"

"Do whatever you want!"

Roxton noticed the tone her voice had. It was the same tone she had in her voice when they met almost three years ago, very arrogant but yet with some kind of softness in it. He walked to her bed and gently sat down beside Marguerite.

"She didn't meant it." He said softly.

"Yeah right." Marguerite shrugged her shoulders, turning her head away from Roxton. But then she faced Roxton again, an accusing look in her eyes. "What would you know about that. You have no idea what it feels like; people hating you, saying they don't need your help and leaving you. Leaving you when you were just a baby. You had two loving parents and a loving brother." 

Tears were streaming down Marguerite's face. She didn't even try to hide them. Roxton felt a lump in his throat. He didn't know what to say. Didn't know if she wanted him to leave or stay here to comfort her. Never had she opened herself as much as she had now. Letting him know how much it hurt her not to know who her parents were and why they had left her.

His thoughts were interrupted by Veronica yelling that dinner was ready. He looked at Marguerite, before saying softly: "Shall I bring you your dinner, so you can eat it here?"

"No thanks, I'm not that hungry."

Roxton walked towards the living room. When he was standing in the doorway, he turned around. "I'll be back after dinner."

"Don't even bother, Roxton." Was the reply he got.

__

«Fine, have it your way, Madam!» he thought

Later that evening, everyone else had gone to bed, Marguerite quietly walked out of her room. She had had enough of being the black sheep. She had thought of this carefully, still having doubts of leaving the treehouse. But Roxton not coming back after dinner, made leaving the treehouse more easier. _«Why did you even think he would come back? They always abandon you, always leave you alone. Even your own parents did it. Aren't parents supposed to love you no matter what?»_ Marguerite had come to the elevator. Before she let the thing down, she took one more look around, seeing the white envelope she had left by Roxton's pistols. 

****

~ ~ ~ 

Everyone awoke early that morning. Everyone except for Marguerite. The rest thought that she was just sleeping late again and didn't even bother to wake her up. They were just having lunch when the elevator came up with Challenger in it. 

"Well, look who we have there, if it isn't the famous professor George Challenger." Veronica's voice dropped with sarcasm. "Didn't you forget something?"

Challenger looked at her with surprise. He had no clue what she was talking about. He had worked in his lab to fix the shower. He had worked the whole night to get it finished. Marguerite would be thrilled. She could finally take a proper shower again. Then he remembered that it was his turn yesterday to make dinner. " Euhm, I'm sorry Veronica. I completely forgot that it was my turn to make dinner. To make it up to all of you I'll cook tonight."

He looked around. "Where's Marguerite?"

"Her highness is sleeping in late again." Roxton mumbled.

Malone looked at his watch and said: "Two in the afternoon is even late for Marguerite."

Roxton stood up with a sigh and walked to Marguerite's room. He gently knocked on her door and when he didn't get an answer he opened it only to find an empty room. He quickly walked back to the living room, a worried expression on his face. 

"What is it Roxton? Did she kick you out? Or did she throw a pillow at your head?" Malone chuckled.

"None of that, Neddy-boy." Then Roxton's eye caught the white envelope. His heart made a leap. _«She didn't ...»_ He hurried over and grabbed the envelope. He recognized the handwriting which had his name written on it. 

"Well? What is it?" Veronica asked curiously.

Roxton opened the envelope with trembling hands at the table. After reading, he stood up and paced to his room, slamming the door behind him. The others looked at each other surprised. The letter had fallen on the floor. Veronica picked it up and read what Roxton had read. "She didn't"

Roxton came out of his room and without saying a word he grabbed his gun and walked to the elevator.

"Roxton." Veronica said.

Roxton turned around, looking at his friends. "I guess you have read the letter. Don't even try to stop me."

Veronica nodded her head. "I won't, but you're not going alone. We're going with you."

****

~ ~ ~ 

Marguerite had awoken early that morning. Her mind immediately went back to the events of the day before. Tears welled up in her eyes. After she had left the treehouse she had walked for hours in the pouring rain to finally find the cave she was in now. Soaking wet she had sat down and had fallen asleep. When the first sun rays showed up, she woke up. Hungrily she stood up. _«Stupid, stupid, stupid. I had to bring some food with me.»_ She walked out of the cave and started looking for berries. 

After a few hours she heard a soft voice calling her name. Marguerite turned around, looking into the direction where the sounds came from. She slowly walked towards the place. There was that voice again. And what was sparkling there? She stopped in her tracks and looked again. _«What was that doing there? How could it have gotten there?»_ She moved slowly forward and peered at it thoughtfully. "Well, what could it hurt if I took a closer look?" Marguerite murmured. All of a sudden there was a bright light. Marguerite turned around and saw a man standing in front of her. Her face showed some recognition seeing this man, but the woman besides him, she had never seen. 

"Nice to see you again, Marguerite." The man said.

"Marguerite's eyes widened. "Bochra. What are you doing here?"

Bochra pointed at the woman besides him. "Morrighan and I need your help, again."

"What? But why? How did you get here? You did got back to your own time when we met the last time, or ...?"

Bochra nodded and explained to Marguerite why they needed her help once again. Why Morrighan needed her help. The most important thing they needed to know was, if Marguerite was willing to give them her help, leaving her time to go back to theirs. To a time where druids, good and evil ones, ruled the world.

Marguerite didn't hesitate long to make her decision. Nobody was waiting for her to return home. Not in London and not here on this Plateau. She agreed and just after she did the bright light appeared again.

The explorers quickly found Marguerite's trail. They came up by the cave, just to see Marguerite surrounded by a bright light. Roxton ran towards her, screaming her name. Marguerite turned around, seeing Roxton running towards her made her hesitate a bit. _«What if I was wrong?»_ But she quickly pushed that thought away and walked through the light. Just when Marguerite had walked through it, Roxton took a jump. The rest looked astonished at everything that happened. When the light was gone, so were Roxton and Marguerite.

"Where are they?" Veronica walked to the place the light had been. Looking carefully around her. But no matter how hard she looked, how hard everyone looked, Roxton and Marguerite were gone.

~ ~ ~ 

"What just happened?" Marguerite asked. She looked around. The place looked very familiar. There were stones standing a mile ahead. Marguerite looked at Bochra with questioned eyes.

"You're in Stonehenge, my dear." Morrighan said. 

Marguerite looked at the woman and than at Bochra. Her eyes filled with horror, for behind Bochra a man appeared out of nothing. And as quickly has he had came, he was gone again. "What ... what the hell is going on here?" Marguerite demanded. "And what happened to my clothes?" she said looking at herself.

Bochra motioned Marguerite to follow him and Morrighan. While they were walking he explained her everything about where she was. Marguerite couldn't believe that it actually had worked. Soon they entered a little village. The villagers were extremely curious who Bochra and Morrighan had brought with them and soon a circle was formed with Bochra, Morrighan and Marguerite in it. Marguerite's head started spinning. All this excitement became too much for her and she fainted.

When she woke up again she found herself lying in a simple bed in an even simpler room. Morrighan noticed that Marguerite was awake. "I guess all the things that happened today, became a bit too much."

Marguerite couldn't answer her for a man burst into the little cottage. Saying something about a strange man who had been captured. And the things he had with him, it could kill people. The poor man was completely exhausted. When he heard about the man being captured, he immediately went on his way to Morrighan. Knowing that she would know something to solve the problem and to free the man.

Morrighan looked from the man to Marguerite, who had become very pale. She knew that Marguerite had an idea of who that strange man was. Or could be. Gently she laid a hand on Marguerite's shoulder. Startled Marguerite turned around, only to look in the friendly face of Morrighan.

"It's Roxton. We ... we have to save him."

Morrighan nodded. "And we will. Only not tonight." This was not the answer Marguerite wanted to hear. She turned around and walked towards the door. But she didn't get very far. Morrighan held her back with her powers.

"Let me go! I have to save him!"

"Marguerite, listen to me. I know who has captured him. We don't have any chance against this warlock. Especially not at night. Tomorrow at dawn, we'll go free him." 

Marguerite simply stood there, seeking support against the wall, tears streaming down her face. Morrighan walked to her and gently pushed her back to the bed. Then she left the cottage.

****

~ ~ ~ 

"Where are they? They just can't disappear into thin air." Malone stated.

But Challenger couldn't give Malone any explanation for what they had just seen. After all, this was the plateau. They had seen stranger things here. Though he had to admit, he didn't like the fact that two of their friends just vanished without any trace.

They walked further, not giving up on Roxton, nor on Marguerite. Looking in every bush and behind every tree. But with no luck. Veronica sat herself down on a stone. She felt very guilty for the disappearance of their friends. "If only I hadn't said those things to Marguerite."

"You can't blame yourself, Veronica." Malone had sat besides her. Putting his arm around her shoulders. Veronica stood up. She knew Ned meant well, but still that feeling didn't go away. A feeling that she was the cause of all this, a feeling that Roxton and Marguerite were in big trouble.

"Perhaps it's better to make camp. It will be dark soon." Challenger stated. Malone and Veronica nodded slowly. "And then tomorrow at first light we'll search further. We're not giving up on them. They don't give up on us if one of us is missing." He replied. Veronica and Malone started looking for wood to make a fire. Challenger made, as he had promised Veronica, dinner that night. 

"Euhm ... I think I prefer Veronica's cooking over yours, old man." Malone teased. Veronica smiled at the attempt of Malone to make her feel better. Though without any success. That eerie feeling wouldn't go away.

"I think I'm going to sleep." She said and wished the two men goodnight. Not much later they too went to sleep.

It was almost dawn when Malone woke up. He looked around to see his companions still fast asleep and decided that it was better just to leave them. They would awake soon enough. _«Especially Veronica»_ he thought. Just after Malone thought that, a scream broke the silence. Malone jumped up. As well as Challenger, who was awakened by it. They looked at Veronica. She had had a nightmare, that was for sure. Tears were streaming down her face.

"Shhh," Malone hushed, "it's alright. It was just a bad dream."

Veronica nodded her head. "No, I saw Roxton, he was being executed and Marguerite wasn't in time to stop it. She ... she was also killed. Before Roxton."

Malone and Challenger looked surprised at the woman. She had never paid much attention to nightmares and now she relied on hers? "We better start looking for them." Malone simply said.

****

~ ~ ~ 

Marguerite had never woke up this early in her entire life. It was still dark outside. The truth was that she wasn't able to find the peace to sleep. Memories of Roxton kept haunting her, they still were haunting her. _«What if I only told him.»_ There was not much time to think about the things she had said two days ago, because Morrighan and Bochra walked into her room. They discussed the plans they had to free Roxton and all turned out to be the same: She had to start believing in herself to beat the evil druid called Mar. 

Morrighan looked from Bochra to Marguerite and back to Bochra. "Do you think she's able?" she whispered.

"The only thing she needs is to know that people believe in her." Bochra whispered back. 

Half an hour later, after a quick breakfast, the three of them went on their way to Stonehenge. During breakfast they were instructed that the transfer would take place there. After an hour walk Marguerite saw a circle of stones standing on top of a hill, which meant they were there. She turned around to ask Morrighan something, but when she did, nobody was there. There was no sign of Morrighan or Bochra.

Marguerite sighed, it always was too good to be true. When wasn't there a time people left her. She walked up the hill and saw a familiar figure standing in the middle of the circle of stones. She felt herself running towards the figure. "John?"

Roxton stopped trying to loosen the ropes around his wrists and looked around. Then he saw a small figure running up the hill. "Marguerite?"

It felt like hours, but it actually hadn't been more than half a minute for her to reach Roxton. When she was there, she threw her arms around his neck and started crying. Before she knew it she had said the three words: I love you. Roxton looked surprised, but then hushed her and told her that everything was alright and that they would get away from here, where ever here may be. Marguerite looked at his face and she leaned in; her lips softly touched his and soon passion took over. Roxton softly broke the kiss. "As much as I would like this to continue, I rather prefer it to continue when I can take you in my arms."

Marguerite looked surprised at the lovely face in front of her, then she gazed at his tied hands. She walked around behind him and tried to free them. Suddenly she was stopped by Roxton calling her name. She looked up and saw a man in an outfit similar as Bochra's. The man had a knife in his hand, wanting to kill both of them. 

"Mar, I presume?" Marguerite asked, while she started moving in front of Roxton.

"Very well, Miss Krux. Or should I call you Morrighan, now that the real priestess is dead?" Mar said wickedly.

Marguerite paled. "Just let us go back to where we came from."

"Don't you think it will go that easily. It's a transfer, remember? And that means that the man will be free as soon as you give your powers to me."

Marguerite didn't hesitated a minute. "Fine take them and let us go."

Mar laughed. "You really have no idea that taking your powers also will mean your death, haven't you?" Ah well, I'm not disappointed that it's your own free will. Mostly I prefer a lot of opposition, but I can't have it all."

"Marguerite, don't do it. I won't allow you to!" Roxton said.

Marguerite turned around and looked at the man she had come to love. She loved him and she needed him. She couldn't live with the idea that he would stay here, while she could have saved him. Even if that meant her death. 

"Marguerite, I know you can find a way out of this, without killing yourself. Marguerite, please listen to me." Roxton pleaded. 

Mar only laughed harder. "Too late Lord Roxton. She is mine now!" 

Marguerite had heard Roxton's words and tried to fight Mar with all her powers left. It wasn't easy. Mar was really powerful. Then Mar was blown away. Marguerite ran towards Roxton and tried to free him, not seeing that Mar was approaching her. Al of a sudden Marguerite's mind were full of horrible memories. She tried to fight it and won, because all of a sudden she and Roxton were standing in the jungle again, hearing a T-rex roar. They quickly went on their way back to the treehouse. After walking some miles, Roxton stopped all of a sudden. Marguerite stopped just in time and looked puzzled at the hunter. Before she knew what was going on, Roxton had bent down and kissed her softly. Marguerite looked startled, but soon relaxed in his embrace and kissed him back. After some time Roxton pulled back and whispered in her ear: "I love you, Marguerite!" 

****

~ ~ ~

"Never ever do that again, Marguerite!" Veronica said hugging the heiress. Marguerite didn't really felt comfortable with all this attention and helplessly looked in the direction of her room. Roxton saw her look and told her that she should go and rest. Marguerite flashed Roxton a thankful smile and retreated to her room.

Later that evening Marguerite stood on the balcony, thinking about her life. What were these chosen one abilities? Would she still have them? Or had Mar taken them? 

"A penny for your thoughts." A soft voice whispered in her ear.

"My thoughts aren't ..." her voice trailed of as she saw the hurt look on Roxton's face. _«What would happen if I trust him?»_ "Well, actually I was wondering if Mar succeeded in taking my powers, considering I'm still alive."

"Which I'm very thankful for." Roxton replied seeing that this caused Marguerite to blush. "Come." 

Marguerite looked suspiciously at Roxton when he took her hand and pulled her back to the treehouse. They took the elevator down and walked for a while.

"Where are you taking me, Lord Roxton?"

"To a place where the wild roses grow. We're there." Roxton looked anxiously at Marguerite's face and smiled happily when he saw the glow on her face.

"Roxton this is beautiful."

Roxton sat down on a stump and patted on the place besides him. Marguerite slowly moved over, still doubting a bit, but then she realized there was no way back and sat down besides the man she loved. Not realizing that Bochra and Morrighan as well as Mar were watching them.

"I guess our little plan worked, Bochra."

"I think you are right. Thanks for helping us out, Mar." 

"The pleasure was all mine. But if you will excuse me, my people are waiting for me." The druid answered and left the other druid and the high priestess alone. 

Morrighan smiled. "You know Bochra, I'm counting the days till she needs our help again. It's so great to help her." And Bochra could only agree with that.

****

The End


End file.
